In The Daredevil by Regan Walker, courage is found in the crash of waves against a fragile deck, in the split-second decisions between survival and sacrifice, and in the quiet pull of a promise waiting on shore. This is a story of courage, faith, and a relentless spirit that helped shape America’s fight for independence.
Continue reading for an excerpt from The Daredevil.
The Daredevil At-a-Glance
- Tone: Adventurous and heroic with romantic undertones
- Setting: American Revolutionary War era, primarily at sea and coastal New England
- Genre: Historical fiction / historical romance
- Focus: Filled with naval battles, daring rescues, and high-stakes missions
- Best for readers of: Revolutionary War fiction, naval adventures, historically grounded romances, and stories inspired by real-life figures
About the Book
The Daredevil by Regan Walker
Before there was a Continental Navy, there was one man’s courage...
When young merchant captain Samuel Tucker learns that war has broken out between Britain and the Colonies, he cannot stand idle. Leaving the safety of London’s port, he races home across a storm-tossed Atlantic to offer his sword to liberty’s cause. Along the way, he saves a valuable ship, her crew, and her cargo, a deed that brings him before General Washington himself. The grateful commander offers Sam command of one of his newly armed schooners.
From those perilous beginnings in Washington’s shadow fleet, Sam rises through the ranks of the Continental Navy and beyond, eventually commanding a privateer that strikes deep into the British supply lines. From the fogbound wharves of Marblehead to the treacherous shoals of Halifax and Europe, he wages war with the daring of a man who seems to fear neither sea nor shot. To his men he is “the Daredevil”, fearless, quick-witted, and guided by an unshakable faith.
Yet amid the thunder of broadsides and the peril of capture, Sam’s heart is not immune to gentler battles. Mary Gatchell, the steadfast Marblehead woman whose prayers sustain him from shore, anchors the life he risks with every voyage. But the sea is a jealous mistress, and every homecoming may be his last.
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This is book three in Regan Walker's Dawn of America series, the first three of which tell the stories of the brave American privateers in the Revolutionary War.
Don't miss The Irish Yankee and The Salamander, books one and two in the Dawn of America series.
“A vivid and engaging story of sacrifice and love in the American Revolution, and an exciting tale of courage and adventure. I was constantly on the edge of my seat!”
~ Readers’ Favorite
“The Daredevil carries a profound atmospheric detail across its chapters, making the reader feel present. This story presents you with a hero you would root for, a partnership you can’t help but envy, and a faith that might leave you inspired to work on your own.”
~ The Feathered Quill
Book Information
Title: The Daredevil
Author: Regan Walker
Publisher: Patriotic Books Publishing
Publication date: April 14, 2026
Print length: 349 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8999794710
Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction/Revolutionary War
Content Rating: 1 Heart (provided by the author)
Title: The Daredevil Author: Regan Walker
Publisher: Patriotic Books Publishing
Publication date: April 14, 2026
Print length: 349 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8999794710
Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction/Revolutionary War
Content Rating: 1 Heart (provided by the author)
Enjoy an Excerpt from The Daredevil
Dawn broke under sullen skies as Sam boarded the Morris that would carry him home, or at least close enough to Marblehead to see him there soon. Captain Thomas Bell greeted him cordially at the rail, pleased to have an experienced seaman among his passengers.
Three weeks out of London, the Morris met a furious gale. The sea rose in gray, heaving walls, the brig plunging through vast troughs. Waves twenty feet high crashed onto the deck, tearing rigging from the mastheads. The ship groaned like a living thing beneath the strain.
Fear showed plain on every face. “She’ll founder any moment!” cried the first officer, his voice thin against the wind.
Captain Bell’s orders came haltingly, confusion in his tone. The men hesitated, eyes white with terror at the sight of their officers giving way to fear.
“Hold fast!” Sam bellowed his voice carrying through the storm. “We’ll not founder this night. Steady your hearts, lads!” Then, turning to Bell, he said, “Sir, I’ve been a captain since I was seventeen and weathered worse storms than this. Give me the helm and I’ll see your ship safely through it.”
The captain, his face drawn and wet with spray, met Sam’s eyes and nodded. “Very well. Take her, and may God guide you.”
Sam seized the wheel. “Hands aloft! Storm-sail on the fore—just a scrap! Stream a drag astern. Lash the tiller. Bring her up, steady into the wind!” Lightning split the sky, showing men half-submerged at the rail, the decks awash. “Heave to!” he roared. “Let her ride the gale, not run before it!”
Hour after hour he held the wheel, soaked to the bone, muscles burning, the deck alive beneath his boots. When the worst of the wind passed, he felt that familiar mingling of exhaustion and exultation that comes to a man who has mastered chaos by sheer will.
At dawn the wind slackened, the great seas heaved themselves flat, and the Morris still floated.
The exhausted crew stared in disbelief.
Captain Bell clapped a trembling hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You’ve saved her, Captain, and every man aboard. I’ll see Mr. Morris hears of this. Your skills saved the cargo destined for Washington’s army.”
Tucker bowed his head, salt water dripping from his hair. “Thank Providence first, Captain. Then tell Mr. Morris.”
End of Excerpt. Excerpt © Regan Walker. Shared here with permission.
Dawn broke under sullen skies as Sam boarded the Morris that would carry him home, or at least close enough to Marblehead to see him there soon. Captain Thomas Bell greeted him cordially at the rail, pleased to have an experienced seaman among his passengers.
Three weeks out of London, the Morris met a furious gale. The sea rose in gray, heaving walls, the brig plunging through vast troughs. Waves twenty feet high crashed onto the deck, tearing rigging from the mastheads. The ship groaned like a living thing beneath the strain.
Fear showed plain on every face. “She’ll founder any moment!” cried the first officer, his voice thin against the wind.
Captain Bell’s orders came haltingly, confusion in his tone. The men hesitated, eyes white with terror at the sight of their officers giving way to fear.
“Hold fast!” Sam bellowed his voice carrying through the storm. “We’ll not founder this night. Steady your hearts, lads!” Then, turning to Bell, he said, “Sir, I’ve been a captain since I was seventeen and weathered worse storms than this. Give me the helm and I’ll see your ship safely through it.”
The captain, his face drawn and wet with spray, met Sam’s eyes and nodded. “Very well. Take her, and may God guide you.”
Sam seized the wheel. “Hands aloft! Storm-sail on the fore—just a scrap! Stream a drag astern. Lash the tiller. Bring her up, steady into the wind!” Lightning split the sky, showing men half-submerged at the rail, the decks awash. “Heave to!” he roared. “Let her ride the gale, not run before it!”
Hour after hour he held the wheel, soaked to the bone, muscles burning, the deck alive beneath his boots. When the worst of the wind passed, he felt that familiar mingling of exhaustion and exultation that comes to a man who has mastered chaos by sheer will.
At dawn the wind slackened, the great seas heaved themselves flat, and the Morris still floated.
The exhausted crew stared in disbelief.
Captain Bell clapped a trembling hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You’ve saved her, Captain, and every man aboard. I’ll see Mr. Morris hears of this. Your skills saved the cargo destined for Washington’s army.”
Tucker bowed his head, salt water dripping from his hair. “Thank Providence first, Captain. Then tell Mr. Morris.” End of Excerpt. Excerpt © Regan Walker. Shared here with permission.
About the Author
Regan Walker is an award-winning, # 1 Amazon bestselling author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval novels that are historically authentic.
Among the awards she has won are the Gold Medal in the Readers Choice Book Awards, the Gold Medal in the Illumination Awards, 1st place in the Chaucer Awards, the International Book Award for Romance Fiction, the San Diego Book Award for Best Historical Romance, the President's Book Awards of The Florida Authors & Publishers Association, the RONE Award for Best Medieval Novel (twice) and the Kindle Book Award.
You can sign up for her newsletter on her website and get the "Reader Extras" there, too. Regan loves to hear from her readers.
Author website: www.reganwalkerauthor.com
